MSN is stopping, hotmail is changing. I have seemingly crawled out into old news

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The only thing I use hotmail for is to read emails. I don't even use WLM anymore.

It is time for Microsoft to go back and buck up on their core business - the OS. Win8 is an interesting concept to attack the touch-screen market, but they are changing too many things and making it too alien.

Sometimes there isn't a need to reinvent anything at all. We are already used to the layout anyway.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

The only thing I use hotmail for is to read emails. I don't even use WLM anymore.

It is time for Microsoft to go back and buck up on their core business - the OS. Win8 is an interesting concept to attack the touch-screen market, but they are changing too many things and making it too alien.

Sometimes there isn't a need to reinvent anything at all. We are already used to the layout anyway.

Problem is, as a corporation whose investors expect "new, better, bigger, all the time, expand, expand" (total bs but whatever), being a reliable durable company that sells a basic important cog isn't enough.

Yes, they're good at hardware (keyboards, mice, etc) and they've gotten good at Operating Systems (hint: the user interface isn't an operating system, nor is the web browser, the media center, etc.)

What they're really selling/forcing the market to is a new user interface. Now if they're selling touch-screen monitors to go with that, or partnering with hardware firms ... it would make a bit more sense.

Hey, they could always pull an Apple and "revolutionize" the industry by creating an OS that doesn't require a restart every time something updates or installs or works.

I'm not sure where I'll migrate to for my IM needs though. Is Skype any good? Never considered it before since I avoid VOIP programs like the plague. What about multi-IM programs like Trillian? Is that still any good? All I want is a low memory, small footprint type program with a reasonably appealing to the eyes design to talk to people from my MSN contact list.

Hey, they could always pull an Apple and "revolutionize" the industry by creating an OS that doesn't require a restart every time something updates or installs or works.

Almost like ... Unix, eh?

I will admit it has gotten to the point I suspect the problem with "please reboot" is its unnecessary and is more an indication that the application writer is an idiot

Quote:

I'm not sure where I'll migrate to for my IM needs though. Is Skype any good? Never considered it before since I avoid VOIP programs like the plague. What about multi-IM programs like Trillian? Is that still any good? All I want is a low memory, small footprint type program with a reasonably appealing to the eyes design to talk to people from my MSN contact list.

I used to use Trillian a lot - I should go take a look. I use Skype for video calls but it keeps getting Bloatier as they keep adding cruft to it.

I have another question. say I upgrade my WLM to the skype integration bla, what will happen to the contacts in my list. I mean will everyone become available on the "skype messenger"? I had a friend who went over to use skype but he kept on showing as offline on my list. Do people who do not upgrade basically get banned out of the communication service between the two clients?

edit; Okay I switched to Trillian which seems so much better than just using Skype as it allows me to remain in contact with my WLM friends.
The entire process of making the account has been hell so far and still has not been resolved. Basically the making of the account is full automatic so I had no idea what my nickname or password is and are.
I thought well hey let us not link it to my already active skype account maybe I can set a proper username but as I found it it is not possible and set it tot he lines of my email which is an old improvised one and so I was not pleased.
Not only that I was not given the option to add a password so I figured hey it is probably the old WLM password, nope! I can log in automatically on their website with the log in with windows account but can't change my password since I do not know the old one and so I can also not log in on the Skype program itself. And why requesting my password does not work? Easily cause my active skype account which has nothing to do with messenger except I registered it to that email is the one Skype thinks I want to change if I request it since you cannot request your password username based. So I had to wait 2 hours for the emails to arrive but they were also for the wrong account. Now I just want to merge those contacts to my active skype account of which everything works but there is no such option in the user options. I am hating this process already. I might need a mod just to figure out my password because their service sucks.
I thought that maybe I could change the primary email linked to the active skype account to another email address to solve the double linked accounts but that option is also not available in your account options on Skype. You are only able to set it to one and never change it again, you can add more but not change the primary email it seems.

On 15th March 2013 we are retiring the existing Messenger service globally (except for mainland China where Messenger will continue to be available) ... Update to Skype and sign in using a Microsoft Account (same as your Messenger ID) ... You'll be able to instant message and video chat with [all your Messenger contacts]

So, what's happening between now and 15th March?
Messenger will continue to work ... If you are signed in with Messenger on your desktop** you will see a banner notification to upgrade. When you click on the banner, an installer window will open with the request to upgrade. This will take you through our installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger.

...

So, what's happening after 15th March?
Messenger users on desktops** will not be able to sign in and will only be able to upgrade to Skype. If you attempt to sign in, a notification will appear, and if you continue, you will be taken through our installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger at the same time.

Can I update to Skype on my mobile?
Yes! Skype is available on iPhone, Android and soon on Windows Phone 8. We encourage you to download the latest Skype app on your mobile and then uninstall Messenger. You will be able to sign in to Skype on your iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 8 mobile apps with your Microsoft Account over the next few weeks. If you use another phone with Messenger on it, it will continue to work for a while.

...

** Newer versions of Messenger will be able to receive the optional upgrade notifications. Older versions will not receive the notifications and you will have to download Skype manually.

This is news to me as to anyone here on this forum but what does this mean for programs like aMSn, Miranda or Pidgin? I can understand that Skype is easier and has more function but I like my MSN account and I don't want to change it soon.

Your Microsoft (MSN) account doesn't change. You can use the same account with Skype and even merge it with a Skype account if you already have the latter as well.

I'm not sure about third-party clients, but seeing as how people in mainland China can still use Messenger, the protocol probably remains the same (unless the Chinese Messenger is updated to work with Skype). Assuming it's the same protocol, current third-party clients should continue to work.

Otherwise, it's possible that one or more third-party clients can have some kind of support for the Skype protocol. (I read that Trillian supports Skype, but I haven't used it in a long time so I can't confirm this.)

I switched to Skype after finding out I couldn't sign in with the messenger made skype account on Trillian (the new Skype has a separate page to log in with messenger and you can't log in using normal Skype with the made account name it made for Skype live:<prefix of your messenger email>). Which sucked.. I still can't import my facebook contacts, cause somehow it says it cannot connect to the addressbook after trying in the past 2 hours.. somehow a ton of previously remove contacts were in my list.

The thing I miss most however, and I wonder if you can do this with Skype cause it was avaliable with Messenger is to get a pop up when you receive an email. In messenger it kept me up to taps whenever I got an email but I don't see that anywhere in Skype :/
edit; it isn't included, no words can describe the stupidity of not adding such a feature. It basically was/is the main reason so many people used WLM in the first place.

Based on the previous hell of helping a friend create a Skype account by using their Microsoft and Facebook accounts to login (ended up creating three separate Skype IDs, a full one, a live: one and a facebook: one, which was resolved rather quickly thanks to support), I consider this the best way to join Skype:

Register an account as normal, not using the Microsoft or Facebook connect options,

Complete profile, then download and sign-in to the Skype client with your newly created account,

Sign-out of Skype client, then sign in and merge with Microsoft account,

Repeat with Facebook account if you wish.

With regards to email notifications, the fact you can sign up for Skype without having a Microsoft (@msn, @hotmail, @live, @outlook) account probably means they weren't going to include email notifications in Skype anyway (though they may add it in the future). I doubt this will happen, considering Microsoft seems to be pushing people towards Windows 8, and the Mail app (and Outlook 2013, when it's running) is (as far as I'm aware) already able to push toast notifications as new mail comes in. The desktop Skype application does have extension capability, so maybe someone might make an extension for Skype for this feature.

Most of my friends appear to have abandoned their Microsoft accounts in favour of Facebook anyway (for instant messaging).

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"Make sure you do a good job with your life's blueprint." - Kanna Makino

Based on the previous hell of helping a friend create a Skype account by using their Microsoft and Facebook accounts to login (ended up creating three separate Skype IDs, a full one, a live: one and a facebook: one, which was resolved rather quickly thanks to support), I consider this the best way to join Skype:

Register an account as normal, not using the Microsoft or Facebook connect options,

Complete profile, then download and sign-in to the Skype client with your newly created account,

Sign-out of Skype client, then sign in and merge with Microsoft account,

Repeat with Facebook account if you wish.

With regards to email notifications, the fact you can sign up for Skype without having a Microsoft (@msn, @hotmail, @live, @outlook) account probably means they weren't going to include email notifications in Skype anyway (though they may add it in the future). I doubt this will happen, considering Microsoft seems to be pushing people towards Windows 8, and the Mail app (and Outlook 2013, when it's running) is (as far as I'm aware) already able to push toast notifications as new mail comes in. The desktop Skype application does have extension capability, so maybe someone might make an extension for Skype for this feature.

Most of my friends appear to have abandoned their Microsoft accounts in favour of Facebook anyway (for instant messaging).

You can import them to a new Skype account even afterward? I have a facebook one, I have a windows live one but not an official Skype one.
I really hate it that they try and force you to just run several programs when all those things could more easily be merged into one, I hate it when I have to run several programs just for basic functions.
Trillian also doesn't work for me anymore, every time I log in it tries to wrongly log in onto Skype; gives an error about being unable to do so but when I go to manage accounts I can't edit the password or even log out of Skype with it.
This all is so annoying..

Worst is I can't really import anything, one moment it says I have no internet the next it says to try again later. There are no problems with my connection though..
Logging into the official website with the messenger account also fails on all tries I made yesterday, when I go to options to change my password it always says; whoops technical problem.. try again later.
Half of the basic functions do not work properly...

Hey, they could always pull an Apple and "revolutionize" the industry by creating an OS that doesn't require a restart every time something updates or installs or works.

I'm not sure where I'll migrate to for my IM needs though. Is Skype any good? Never considered it before since I avoid VOIP programs like the plague. What about multi-IM programs like Trillian? Is that still any good? All I want is a low memory, small footprint type program with a reasonably appealing to the eyes design to talk to people from my MSN contact list.

Please, please. As far as the "not require a restart". That's enough to make me consider a macbook when I get a new recreational laptop...if I can afford one and make it work for me. Yes, I am a mac-hater. And macs hate me back.

Skype is lovely. You can just text-chat, or you can video chat, or you can just voice chat. Even if one person doesn't have a webcam or a mic, they can still hear and see the other person if that person does. It works well and the interface is appealing to the eyes. My only complaint is that you can't do 3 way video caling without upgrading to skype premium--only voice calls. The filesharing system is nice too. And screen sharing.